Clover-buncher.



PATENTED FEB. 14. 1905.

W. A. WILLIAMS.

CLOVER BUNGHER.

APPLICATION IILED APR. 21, 1904.

H tkomegs Patented February 14, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE.

\VlLLlE A. \VIIlLlrUIS, OF \VADESVILLE, lNDlANA.

CLOVER-BUNCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,301, dated February 14, 1905.

Application filed April 21, 1904. Serial No. 204.264.

To 107/ who/11. fr 71m comer/'11 Buncher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are known as clover-bunchers and which are in the nature of attachments for headers of harvest-ing-machines for the purpose of receiving and bunching the cloverheads stripped thereby until a sufficient quan tity has been accumulated, when by a simple trip mechanism the bunch maybe released and dropped in a pile upon the ground.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general etticiency; and with these and other ends in view,which will readily appear the nature of the invention becomes better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of my improved clover-buncher, it being understood that no limitation is made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the rightis reserved to all changes, modifications, and alterations which come fairly within the scope of the invention and which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad vantages of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of my improved clover-buncher. Fig. 2 a rear elevation.

. Corresponding parts in both figures are indicated by similar numerals of-reference.

The frame of my improved clover-buncher includes a pair of side pieces 1 1, preferably consisting of straps of steel or other suitable metal and the rear ends of which are bent to assume a vertical position, constituting uprights or brackets 2 2. The side pieces 1 l i are made to diverge in a forward direction,

Be it known that I, \YILLIE A. WILLL-ms. a citizen of the United States. residing at \Yadesj ville, in the county of Posey and State of lndiana, have invented a new and useful (.loveri i i i i and their front ends are connected by a crosspiece 3. A pair of triangular plates 4: 4 are connected with the side pieces 1 and with the adjacent ends of the crosspiece 3, said triangular plates serving to brace the structure and to strengthen the same. A plurality of flexible bars or strips 5 5 are secured at their front ends to the front piece 3 and extend rearwardly, terminating about on a line with the side pieces 1 l at the point where the latter are bent upwardly to form the brackets 2 2.

The upper ends of the upwardly-extending brackets 12 2 are provided with bearings fora shaft 7, having a plurality of transverse teeth 8, which extend through said shaft on diametrically opposite sides of the same and which are of a length about equal to that of the uprights 22. The shaft 7 is also provided at right angles to the teeth 8 with radially-extending lingers 9 for the purpose of assisting the shaft in rotating when the bunch is to be discharged from the device, as will be presently understood. The shaft '7 is also provided at one of its projecting ends with a crosspiece l0,which is in alinement with the teeth 8.

Pivotally connected with a bracket 11, extending from one of the uprights 2: is a bellcrank lever 12, the long arm of which forms a handle having a perforation 13and the short arm of which is connected by a link 14: with a vertically-slidable spring-actuated pin or bolt 15. Said pin or bolt extends through a guiding-sleeve 15, which is securely connected with the upright 2 and is connected at its upper end with a yoke 15', which slidingly engages the said upright 2. Said yoke is provided with a laterallycxtcnding arm 15, adapted to extend into the path of the crosspiece of the shaft 7. The latter, itwill be seen, is thus prevented from rotating in its bearings until the latch member is withdrawn, which may be done by operating the bell-crank lever 10, the latter being conveniently accomplished by means of a string or wire 17, connected with the perforation 13 in the long arm of said bell-crank member. The trip mechanism will in practice be operated by the operator of the machine with which the improved clover-buncher is connected for operation; but said machine or any part thereof has not been shown in the drawings, as it does not form a part of the invention.

In practice the side members 1, front member 3, plates I, and thestrip 5 cooperate to constitute aplatform adapted to receive the cloverheads which are bunched upon the said platform against the teeth 8 of the revoluble shaft 7 said teeth constituting a back wall to the said platform. When a sufiicient load or bunch has been accumulated, the trip mechanism is operated by pulling the rope or wire 17, thus causing the spring-actuated pin or bolt to be moved in a downward direction, carrying with it the yoke the arm of which, 15", is thus removed from contact with the cross-piece 10, and the progression of the platform will cause the bunch of clover, which engages the ground between the strips 5, to remain stationary while the platform moves from under said bunch, the fingers 9 of the shaft 7 serving to engage the bunch, thereby causing the shaft 7 to complete a half-rotation until the entire bunch has been delivered and the shaft is arrested with the teeth 8 in an approximately vertical position by the cross-piece 1O engaging the trip-arm 15. It is obvious that the flexible nature of the material of which the platform of this improved clover-buncher is constructed facilitates the operation of the same, the bunch being supported upon said platform in such a manner that it will partially engage the ground, and thus enable the platform to move from under the bunch at the very moment when the trip mechanism is operated.

The general construction of this device, it will be seen, is extremely simple and inexpensive, and it is obviously useful and serviceable for the purposes for which it isintended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed.is-

In a device of the class described, a frame including a cross-piece, side pieces connected with said cross-piece and having upturned rear ends forming standards, bearings at the upper ends of said standards, a shaft mounted for rotation in said bearings and serving to connect the sides of the frame, radially-extending fingers upon said shaft, and a tripfinger upon said shaft adjacent to the outer side of one of the standards, in combination with a bracket secured to said standard, a bellcrank lever pivoted to said bracket, a guidesleeve secured upon the standard, a springactuated pin slidable in said guide-sleeve, a link connecting said pin with one arm of the bell-crank lever, and ayoke mounted slidably upon the standard and having an arm extending in the path of theftrip-finger upon the shaft, said yoke being connected with the upper end of the spring-actuated pin.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIE A. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

KELLY DEFUR, ALVIN CARTWRIGHT. 

